Prime Minister (PM) Jeremiah Manele says addressing unemployment and improving infrastructure—particularly in rural areas—will take time, stressing that “Rome was not built in a day.”
The Prime Minister made the remarks during his first press conference on Monday after media questioned the Government’s long-term strategy to tackle unemployment and infrastructure development in the provinces.
PM Manele acknowledged strong public demand for tangible results but said many government initiatives are process-driven and cannot be delivered overnight.
“Rome was not built in a day, and I understand the public’s desire to see results,” he said. “However, some of these things are process-related.”
“For example, once a Bill is passed in Parliament, that is the easy part. The difficult part is implementation, where issues of capacity and compliance arise.”
PM Manele, who is also Chair of the Pacific Islands Forum, said infrastructure development—such as roads, wharves, and airstrips—faces challenges not only because of the country’s geography but also due to limited financial resources.
He said much of Solomon Islands’ infrastructure has historically been funded by development partners, and competing priorities continue to constrain progress.
“We would like to build roads, wharves, and airstrips, but we cannot do that in one, two, or even five years,” he said.
“This depends on resources, because it is not only one province—there are nine provinces.”
He said the country’s scattered geography presents inherent challenges compared to nations with fewer islands.
“As a result, there have been fewer new road projects, with more focus on maintaining and rehabilitating existing infrastructure,” he said.
PM Manele said infrastructure development must also consider whether projects are strategically located and capable of generating jobs and economic opportunities.
On employment, he said the Government will place greater emphasis on Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) to equip citizens with practical skills.
He said labour mobility schemes offer temporary relief, but long-term job creation depends on strengthening productive sectors such as agriculture, tourism, and fisheries.
“These industries take time to develop,” he said, noting that cocoa production alone takes nearly two years before yielding returns.
PM Manele also highlighted pressures from population growth, climate change, reliance on imported fuel, and rising costs—challenges that will persist as Solomon Islands prepares to graduate from Least Developed Country (LDC) status in 2027.
“These are realities we must manage as we move forward,” he said.
By EDDIE OSIFELO
Solomon Star, Honiara
